Means for suspending the contents of boxes.



E. T. CAMPBELL.

MEANS FOR SUSPENDING THE lCONTENTS 0F BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE 24. I9I8.

L280'392. Patented om.. 1, 191s.

' m: Ivmzms wenn: co., man1-ammo.. wasmrwrmwA n. c.

naar. fr. CAMPBELL, or GARY, INDIANA.

MEANS ron susrnnnme rnnconr'nivrs or Boxes.

To all whom it may concern.' 4

Be it known that I, EARL T. CAMrBnLL, a Citizen of the United Sta-tes, and a resident of Gary, county of Lake, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Means for Suspending the Contents of Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in `which like numerals referto like parts.

This invention relates to means for sus-4 pending the contents ofboxes or the like and is designed primarily for use in connection with tobacco boxes in which smoking tobacco is placed.

The prime feature of the invention is in the provision of a tongue formed from parts of the usual paper lining within the tobacco box, for holding the lining in such position as to retain the uppermost portion of the contents of the box in close proximity to the open end of the box so that ready access may be had to the contents.

i A further feature of the invention is in the provision of means for receivingl and holding the tongue so formed and also so position the tongue that the opening and closing` of the cover of the box will not come in contact with or injure the tongue.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ordinary tobacco box structure showing the lining thereof in elevated position and showing a tongue formed by removing portions of the lining. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the tongue in position to support the lining of the box and the contents thereof, and Fig. 3 is a sectional View as seen on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referringto the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the tobacco box which is of the usual construction, and 2 indicates the cover therefor which is attached to the box through the means of a hinge 3, as is customary, said box having a rib or bead 4: formed therein adjacent its upper end upon which the lower edge of the cover 2 rests when the cover is closed. It is customary to line the boxes of this type with an oil paper lining 5, said lining extending over the top and bottom of the box, and is so folded at its lower end as to form a complete closure, so that when the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oet. i, isis.

l Application filed. June 24, 1918. Serial No. 241,564.

lining is elevated the contents 6 of the lining will be elevated therewith.

The prime feature of this invention as previously stated isl to maintain the uppermost portion of the tobacco adjacent the upper end of the box, and to accomplish this result, after a certain quantity of the tobacco has been removed, the lining is moved upward in the box so as to bring the uppermost layer of tobacco adjacent the upper end of the box. As the lining is elevated in the box, the surplus portion thereof is torn off, so as to maintain the upper edge thereof substantially in alinenient with the upper edge of the box. In order, however, to support the lining in its elevated position, so as not to be required to continually reach into the box to move the lining upwardly, the front portion of the surplus portion of the lining is first slit or torn in a vertical direction, so as to leave a tongue portion 7 as hest'shown in Fig. 1, the remaining surplus portion 8 of the lining being then removed by tearing the same in a horizontal direction as shown in Fig. 1.

This latter operation is easily performed,

as the point of separation is around the upper edge of the box, said edge serving as a scoring point.

After the tongue 7 is formed and the portion 8 is removed, the lining is elevated to the position shown in Fig. 1, and the tongue then bent outwardly and downwardly and the free lower end thereof entered through a slit 9 formed in the front face of the box, preferably above the upper edge of the rib l-,and when the tongue 7 which first passes over the outer face of the box and then through the slit and along the inner face thereof, is lowered into the position shown in Fig. 3, the lining and its contents will be supported by the tongue, until such time as the tongue is removed from the slit.

The strip of metal 10 formed by slitting the front face of the box as shown at 9, is bent inwardly at its ends so as to dispose the strip 10 a distance in the rear of the front wall of the box, or a sufficient distance to permit the tongue 7 to lap over the upper edge ofthe strip 10 and be so positioned that the edge of the cover 2 will not come in contact with the tongue when the cover is being opened or closed.

In operation, after a quantity of the to bacco has been consumed, the lining 5 is pulled upwardly and the tongue 7 formed lllO ' is then further elevated, ,the tongue bent in the proper position and the lining' and its contents again lowered, t'liisope-iation bei-ng successively repeated until all the contents of the box have been consumed.

In this manner the Acontents off the box is always retained in position to be quickly and eonyenien-tly removed from the box, or the saine yas when the box was irst opened.

This intention can be readily applied to use in connection with the ordinary tobacco box as it is but necessary to for-1n ythe slit in one tace or' the box and press that portion of the box above the slit inwardly, so that the cost el production et .the box will be Ypractically thc saine as in the present insta-.nceyas the slit can be formed in the `course oi? manu facture the saine Aas the rib and at the saine operation. s

ln this toi-m of :tobacco boxes, the tobacco is packed solidly in the cans *to retain its flavor, and in order to loosen the tobacco yso that it can be removed from the can, it is necessary to loosen the upper layers thereof which is usually done by scratching with the lingers and by always retainingfthe upperf' Gopie A0i this patent ,may .be `obtained `Tier tageously accomplished as it will be more accessible tothe tingers for loosening the The invention Claimed is rl. llhe combination with a box structure having slit therein, ot a lining within said box structure, and a tongue on said lining, said tongue being adapted to enter said slit to hold the lining and the contents of the box in elevated position.

The combination with la box structure, and L lining therein, of :tongues formedby successively making incisions through `parts of the lining, said tongues being for engagement with parts of the lbox whereby the lin ing and its contents may be held atvarious elevated posi-tions AWithin the box, 1-

3. The combination with a box having a slit in one face thereof0 the par"v ofthe j'ace above the slit being ol'l'set, Aof a ln 'ng within said box, and tongues :formed successively from partsol Ethe vlining tor engagement Vwith said sli-t whereby the lining audits contents may suspended at various heights within the box. il

ln witness whereof, I have hereunto atfixed' my signature in the presence ci" the Witnesses herein named.

y 'EA-RL T. centri-BELL. litnesses i i -Hannvg ySirloinminimoW Fan MAnnnnx.

fine cents each, by .addressing .the Cemmissivner of Patents, i

` l Washington, JJ. .0. 

